Program control device for rolling mills



Dec. 6, 1966 YUTAKA TAKUMA PROGRAM CONTROL DEVICE FOR ROLLING MILLS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 26, 1965 hm?. Emxml 5 v I ATTORNEY Dec. 6, V1966 YUTAK,TAKUMA 3,239,444

j PROGRAM CONTROL DEVICE FOR ROLLING `MILLS Filed sept. 2e. 196s 1 v i" 2 sheets-sheet z F/g.l 2

` InUEnTOR yul'aKa, TaKurna.

ATTORNEY United States Patent ifice 3,289,444 Patented Dec. 6, 1966 PROGRAM CONTROL DEVICE FOR ROLLING MILLS Yutaka Talkuma, Hitachi-shi, Japan, assignor to Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Sept. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 311,770 Claims priority, application Japan, Sept. 28, 1962, 37/411906 1 Claim. (Cl. 72-7) This invention is concerned with the program control of rolling mills particularly of the reversible type.

According to the present invention, a program control device for a rolling mill comprises automatic means for effecting a predetermined program automatically in response to successive rolling passes, and take over control means for effecting a different predetermined program independently of the number of rolling passes, whereby a particular program can be performed as required under human control.

In the automatic operation of a rolling mill employing a predetermined program in the form of program signals stored in a punched card, a magnetic or perforated tape or the like, the stored program must be read out and converted into electrical signals. With rolling mills of the reversible type, however, it is necessary to vary the reduction, roll velocity, etc. between rolling passes and the program reading operation is generally performed keeping step with the advance of the rolling passes. In some instances, however, it is desirable to start the rolling operation after the rolling mill is set midway of the program, for example, for the fifth pass. The present invention is intended to meet such demand and has for its object to provide a semi-automatic program control device including means for effecting the program reading independently of the advance of the number of rolling passes.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which diagrammatically illustrate one embodiment of the invention and in which:

FIG. l is a circuit diagram of the embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating in detail the program reading unit indicated by the dash-dot block diagram in FIG. 1.

Reference characters (a), (b), (c), (f) indicate the same lines leading from and to the program reading unit in the two figures.

Referring rst to FIG. 2, input lines 111-119, are normally fed with an input voltage in regular sequence as the rolling passes advance. Output lines 011-0100 include respective output elements O1-O00, which are each operated on or off in response to the presence or absence of the output signal in the outputline.

Diodes 1D1-1D80 are arranged between the rst input line 111 and respective output lines 011-0100, diodes 2D1- 2D80 between the second input line 112 and respective output lines 011-0100, and so forth including diodes 9D1- 9D00 `connected between the ninth input line 110 and respective output lines 011-0120. Make-break elements 181-1550, 281-2820, 981-9800 are connected in series with the above groups of diodes and are controlled by a memory relay or other suitable means for example to close during perforations in the program and to open during nonperforations therein. Thus, these make-break elements S serve to reproduce in electrical form the program stored in the program card.

Inhibit elements INH1-INH9 have each two input terminals I1 and -I and their outputs are supplied to input lines I11-I10 only when the input terminal I1 has an input but inhibit terminal I has no input. Memory elements Me11-Meg have each set and reset input terminals I1 and -I. AND elements 2AN2-2AN9 have each two input terminals I1 and I2 and provide output signals, only when input signals I1 and I2 are supplied to both the two input terminals. The output signals from the AND elements then provide the set input I1 to respective memory elements Me2-Me0. With this reading unit, the memory elements are reset by a reset device RD (FIG. l) at the start of a rolling operation. As the rolling operation proceeds, sequence control CE (FIG. 1) operates to energize read-out shift lines R11 and R12 so as vto successive shift the voltage of the input lines 111-119: 1

A feedback line F11 is connected with odd-numbered input lines 111, 112, 119 by way of diodes D11, D13, D19 and another feedback line F2 with even-numbered input lines 112, 11.1, by way of diodes D22, D24, D28.

Being constructed and arranged in this manner, the program reading unit is controlled by the sequence control unit CE through the intermediary of line a from power source SB, shift lines R11, R12 and line f from reset device RD while returning the output signal to the sequence control CE by way of feedback lines F11, F12.

For starting operation, a pushbutton switch PB1 is provided to give input I1 to AND elements 2AN11 and 2AN12. When the AND elements are fed with the input I1 and simultaneously with the input I2, which cornes through feedback lines F11 and F12, they give set input I1 to respective memory elements Me11 and Me12, provided for forward and reverse rotation instmctions. These memory elements Me11 and Me12, when instructions for forward or reverse rotation are given, supply input I1 to AND elements 2AN13-2AN11 and 3AN1-3AN2, respectively. AND element 3AN1 is turned on to give an order for reverse acceleration when fed simultaneously with input signals I1, I2 and I3 from memory element Me11 and photoelectric devices P2, P4 while AND element 3AN2 is turned on to give an order for forward acceleration when fed simultaneously with input signals I1, I2 and I3 from memory element Me12 and photoelectric devices P1, P3. Memory elements Me13 and Me14 are given a set input I1 which is the output of AND elements 2AN13, 2AN1.1, and a reset input -I as the output of memory elements Me11, Me12. AND elements 2AN15 and 2AN10 turn on to impart input I1 to respective memory elements Me15 and Me11,` when input I1 from memory element Me13 and Me11 as well as input 12 from photo-electric devices P2 and P3 are given at the same time.

These memory elements Me15 and Me10 are reset when an order for forward or reverse rotation is issued. Inhibit elements INH11 and INH12 turn on when input I1 from respective memory elements Me15 and Me10 is given but no inhibit input -I is given from photoelectric devices P2, P3. The output of inhibit elements INH11, INH12 is impressed upon the input I1 of respective OR elements OR1, OR2. The OR elements are each turned on when either of its input terminals I1 and I2 is given a signal to give input I1 to inhibit element INH13 or INH14 while energizing time delay element TD1 or TD2. Inhibit terminals -I ofthe inhibitelements INH12 and 3 INH14 receive signals from the respective delay elements TD1, TD2. The output terminals O of inhibit elements INH13, INH14 are connected to shift lines R11 and R12, respectively.

A pushbutton switch PB2 is provided to send signals to said OR elements OR1 and OR2 to permit the program reading to proceed under human control and has contacts PE21 and P13211. AND elements 2AN12 and 2AN18 turn on when they receive input l1 or I2 through contact P1321, and at the same time through feedback line F11 or F12. Memory elements Mey, and Me12 are arranged to be set by these AND elements. Another pair of AND elements 2AN19 and 2AN20 act to set memory element Me12, Me20 when turned on by coexistence of the input I1 from memory element Mew or Me12 and input I2 from contact P13211.

The memory elements Mew and Me20 impart input I to delay elements TD3, TD1 while imparting reset input to memory elements Mem and Me12 through respective delay elements TD5 and TDS. Contrar'iwise, memory elements Me19, Me21, are reset by reset input -I given from feedback IlinesR11, R12 through delay elements TD2 iand TD2, respectively.

With this arrangement, at the startl of the rolling operation, all of the memory elements Me2-Me9 are reset by reset device RD so that the voltage of power source SB appears on Ifeedback line F11 through the intermediary of inhibit `element INH1 and diode D11. Then, upon depression of the pushbutton switch PB1, AND element 2AN12 turns on with its two input terminals I1 and I2 energized to set memory element Me12. Upon the setting of memory element Me12, the order for forward rotation is issued to the main roll of the rolling mill and to the table drive motor. Meanwhile, the amount of reduction, main roll velocity, etc. are ordered through output lines 011-0180 according to the first reading from the program by the program reader so that the rolling mill is adjusted to the values ordered. Thereafter, as the rolling stock S is rolled proceeding from left to right, photoelectric devices P1, P2, P3 are operated to set memory element Me14 by way of AND element 2AN14. As memory element Me14 is turned on, AND element 2AN16 is also turned on with both input terminals I1 and I2 energized and memory element Mew is set. The photoelectric devices P1 and P3 are operable to turn on AND element 3AN2 for issuance of the order for forward acceleration.

When the memor'yeelement Mem is set to send input signal I1 to the inhibit element INH12, the rolling material S still underlying the photoelectric device P3, the inhibit input terminal -I remains energized so that the inhibit element INI-i12 has no output.

Upon completion of the rst rolling pass. the trailing end of the stock S is moved past the photoelectric device P3 to allow the inhibit element INH12 to produce an output, which enters OR element OR2 as input I1 to turn on inhibit element INH11, giving a signal voltage to shift line R12. After a predetermined time period, the inhibit element INH14 receives the output of delay element TD2 to restore its off state so that ia pulse voltage is given to line R12. On the other hand, AND element 2AN2 normally receiving input I1 is turned on with the arrival of the pulse to set memory element Me2. In this manner, inhibit element INH1 is given an inhibit input -I to turn off while inhibit element INH2 is given an inlet I to turn on. Therefore, the voltage previously being applied to the rst input line 111 is shifted to the second line I12 so that the rolling mill is set to values for the second pass. When the second line 112 is activated to energize feedback line F12, the AND element 2AN11 is given input I2 and turns on simultaneously with the depression of pushbutton switch PB1 to set memory element Me11 and the order for reverse rotation is issued. (Incidentally, the memory element Me12 for ordering forward rotation has already been reset by the output of inhibit element INH12.) Accordingly, the mill reverses its rotation and the stoclr S thereon is started'to travel from right to left for the second pass.

Upon completion of the second pass, photoelectric devices P2, P3, P4 operate in a manner similar to that during forward rotation to turn on inhibit element INH11 to reset the reverse rotation memory element Me11 while giving input I1 to OR element OR1. Therefore, pulses are sent for a definite time period from inhibit element INH13 to the shift line R11 to set memory element Meg through the intermediary of AND element 2AN3. At the same time, inhibit input -I is allowed to enter and turn off inhibit element INH2 while input I is given to inhibit element INH3 to switch the voltage impression from input line 112 to 113. Thus, the amount of reduction, velocity of the main roll, etc. are set afresh according to the program for the third pass and upon operation of pushbutton switch PE1 the third rolling pass is started. In this illustration, up to nine passes can be effected by repeating the procedure described above.

With the above described apparatus, the reading unit does not operate in any effective manner unless the rolling passes advance, as will readily be noted. This in= volves inconveniences in performance tests and when the rolling program is desired to start from any intermediate rolling pass. The drawbacks of conventional program control devices for rolling mills can be overcome by the present invention as will be apparent from the following description.

Assume that a rolling operation is desired only to follow the latter part of the program, for example, from the fifth to the last pass. At first, pushbutton PB2 is pressed with the entire control system being conditioned for initiation of the first pass. On this occasion, inhibit element INH1 has turned on to feed a voltage to the feedback line F11. Therefore, depression of pushbutton PB2 sends inputs I1 and I2 to AND element 2AN18 to turn on the latter thereby to set memory element Me18. Subsequently when pushbutton PB2 is restored (into the illustrated state), AND element 2AN211 receives two inputs I1 and I2 to set memory element Me20. This memory element Me20 imparts input signals to the reset input terminal I of memory element Me18 by way of delay element TDS and to the input terminal I1 of OR element OR2 by way of delay element TD4. Therefore, after the lapse of the preset time, OR element OR2 acts to turn on the inhibit element INH11 to impress a voltage upon shift line R12. (The voltage given to the shift lines has a pulse shape similar to that of rolling passes.) As the result, AND element 2AN2 is turned on and the input voltage is switched from first input line 111 to second input line 112. Similarly, each time when pushbutton PB2 is pressed and released, an input voltage is given alternately to shift lines R11 and R12, causing the program reading to proceed successively just in the same manner as when sequence control device CE operates at each rolling pass. Accordingly, the operator can start the rolling mill when inhibit element INI-I5 has been turned on to effect the fth and succeeding passes.

As apparent from the foregoing, the program controi device of the present invention can effect the program reading independently of the actual rolling operation. and is highly advantageous in that it facilitates performance tests of rolling mills of the type and also enabling the operator to start the rolling operation with any intermediate pass, say, with fifth pass thereof.

What is claimed is:

A program control device for rolling mills including in combination program reading means for providing automatic programmed control over the operation of a rolling mill, logic-circuit means including sensors for observing operation of the rolling mill, said logic-circuit means being coupled to and controlled by said program reading means and being coupled to control automatically the cyclical operation of the rolling mill, and manually Operable take-over control means coupled to said pro- 2,264,096 11/ 1941 Mohler 72-16 gram reading means in parallel With said logic Circuit 2,894,422 7/ 1959 Hautau 72-7 means for stepping the program reading means through 3,081,653 3/1963 Kincaid 72 240 any desired number of pre-programmed operational passes independently of the operation of the rolling mill. 5 FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited bythe Examiner 1291933 7/1959 Russia- UNITED STATES PATENTS CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. 1,049,377 1/1913 Lewis 72-*7 2,006,765 7/ 1935 Hudson 72-7 10 W. H. JUST, Assistant Examiner. 

